Taylor Thompson Added To North Division All-Star Roster

Birmingham, AL - The Southern League of Professional Baseball Clubs has announced that reliever Taylor Thompson has been named to the North Division All-Star roster due to an injury to reliever Ryan Kussmaul. Seven other Barons players were named to the 2013 Southern League All-Star team yesterday: catcher Mike Blanke, infielder Marcus Semien, designated hitter/first baseman Dan Black, and pitchers Scott Snodgress and Nick McCully. First baseman Andy Wilkins and pitcher Erik Johnson were also elected but will not participate in the game due to their promotions to the Triple-A Charlotte Knights. The Barons lead the Southern League with nine All-Star selections this season.

The All-Star selection is Thompson's first in his inaugural season at the Double-A level. He leads the Barons with 11 saves in 11 opportunities so far this season, tied for fourth in league. In 28 games, Thompson has posted a record of 3-1 with a 2.42 ERA (12 ER/44.2 IP) with 45 strikeouts.

A native of Montgomery, AL, Thompson attended Auburn University before being drafted by the White Sox in the 44th round of the June 2009 First-Year Player draft. Southern League batters are hitting just .181 (30-for-166) against Thompson on the season, the fourth-lowest opponents batting average against in the league this season.